John Simpson began instrumental music training at the age of eight playing trumpet but later switched to tuba. During high school, John participated in the Kansas All-State Band and the Wichita Youth Symphony. At the age of twelve, he began his drum corps experience with the Hutchinson, Kansas Sky Ryders, playing baritone bugle. In 1960, at the age of eighteen, he accepted into the United States Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps, performing as baritone soloist. During time spent in Washington, DC, John became involved with the New York Skyliners through his friend, Tommy Martin. Though never having marched a competitive show with the Skyliners, John recorded an individual rendition of "Rhapsody In Blue," using a Getzen G/D baritone with half-step slide. The recording was included on the Skyliners’ Portrait In Brass (1962 album on Fleetwood).
After leaving the USAF in 1964, John received a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Wichita State University and a Masters degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
For over three decades, John served as brass instructor for countless corps including the Sky Ryders (1964 to 1983). During those years, he devoted time and effort into raising the level of awareness of tone quality and intonation in drum corps. Together with friend, Larry Kerchner, John advocated the replacement of the French horn bugle for the mellophone. After the mellophone had become predominate, the next endeavor John undertook was to replace the commonly used trumpet mouthpiece with a mellophone mouthpiece. In 1980 John was employed by King Musical Instruments to advise the development of their standard-setting contrabass bugle. In 1999 John retired from instrumental music teaching in the public schools, and in 2000 was inducted into the World Drum Corp Hall of Fame.
John lives in Overland Park, Kansas with his wife of thirty four years, Brooks. They have one child, Erin, who is a French horn performance major at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. John continues to substitute-teach in local school districts as well as maintain a studio of private students.
